BRITAIN DEFEAT MAORIS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18615, 10 July 1930, Page 7

BRITAIN DEFEAT MAORIS.

EXHILARATING GAME AT WELLINGTON. NATIVES’ SECOND-SPELL RALLY. At Athletic Park, Wellington, yesterday, the British team played a minor Test, defeating a New Zealand Maori team by 19 points to 13 after an exciting contest. Superior combination and ability of the backs to take full advantage of opportunities won for Great Britain, as the side was styled by the radio reporter. The Natives had the better of the play territorially, but over-eagerness at critical moments nullified some of their efforts. Failure to gather the ball cleanly when the defence was practically beaten cost them some points. Many preconceived ideas were upset by the Maoris, who were 11 points down early in the second spell, but responded with a long-sustained and torrid attack, as a result of which they added 10 points. The Maoris in the second half won the great majority of the scrums, but the British forwards were superior in line-out play. f By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, July 9. Playing dashing, inspiring football, the Maori All Black side gave Britain one of the hardest matches of their tour at Athletic Park to-day. The difference of six points in the scores (19-13 in favour of Britain) gives a good indication of the relative strengths of the sides, for though the British backs played a more scientific game and displayed more finish in passing movements, this was counteracted by the fire and vigour the Maoris put into both defence and Throughout, the game was played at a rattling pace. Bell played a particularly fine game as wing-for-tvard in the Maori team, and was largely responsible for effective smothering of the British insiJde backs, Spong and Bowcott, who, however, both proved versatile in meeting the occasion. Morley, the speedy winger who scored the sensational try at Dunedin, notched another two tries, and Novis, on the other wing, was also" responsible for two. Ruru, on the Maori wing, also played a spectacular game, and Harrison, the Maori halfback, came out with colours flying in his contest with Spong. The two fullbacks, Nepia and Bassett, gave splendid displays.

THE TEAMS. The teams were as follows: Britain. Full-back: J. Bassett. Three-quarters: A. L. Novis, C. D. Aarvold, T. E. Jones-Davies, J. Morley. Fly-half: H. M. Bowcott. Scrum-half: R. Spong. Forwards: D- A. Kendrew, D. Parker, H. O’H. O’Neill, B. H. Black, J. L. Farrell, F. D. Prentice, G. R. Beamish, Ivor Jones. Maoris. Full-back: G. Nepia. Three-.quarters: L. Ruru, R. Pelham, R. Wat3on. Five-eighths: T. Robinson, R. Ropata. Half-back: H. Harrison. Wing-forward: R. Bell. Forwards: R. Oxley, R. Wanoa, W. Reside, M. Kahu, Toby Robinson, J. Leach, J. Gemmell. THE PLAY. Right from the start the Maoris exhibited some bright individual play, Harrison and Bell being prominent, and a dangerous situation arose / when Harrison, having evaded Spong in a run round the blind side, passed in to the forwards, but Britain managed to smother and broke away with the ball at toe to Nepia, who found touch. Then, a few minutes from the start, the British back line swung into action, and short, quick passing saw Morley score well out, Black missing with the attempt at conversion. Britain 3 Maoris 0 Smothering on the part of the Maori inside backs—Ropata, Robinson and Harrison—w r as quick and decided. Wanoa and Reside broke through two scrums and bustled the British backs badly. Ruru was given the ball on the blind side and made a splendid run down the line, passing in, and in scrummaging near the posts Britain was penalised, Nepia taking an easy kick and making the scores even, seven minutes from the start. Britain 3 Maoris 3 Following up quickly, Ivor Jones and Farrell were prominent in taking play to the Maori 25. e From a scrum Spong passed out to Bowcott, who beat his man and handed on to Aarvold, the latter running Morley into position three yards from the line, and allowing him to run round and score in a good position. Black missed the goal. Britain 6 Maoris 3

Against such dashing, determined defence as that put up by the Maoris, the British back line found it opportunities strictly limited. Britain hooked from most of the scrums, but seldom was able to get the ball away cleanly, and even when it did so the Maori backs were round in a flash. Harrison gave a lot of trouble behind the Maori scrum, and shot his passes out quickly, varying his play nicely, and-working in well with Ruru on the blind side. On one occasion he had dribbled a lob pass to Bassett, and was .near to getting across when Morley ran round in the nick of time, and saved. On the whole, play was fairly even, a shade in favour of the Maoris, but a lot of the value of their efforts was lost through infringements. Both Prentice and Parker had unsuccessful shots at goal from penalties, and from a third taken from well out near the side line, Parker added another three points. Britain ~ 9 Maoris 3

The score was unchanged at halftime, but the Maoris, by consistent upsetting of Britain’s applecart as far as combined passing was concerned, more than held their own.

After Nepia had missed with a penalty kick at goal, Spong secured and ran round to Novis in an attempt at starting another passing rush, but the tackling was very sure. Coming round a scrum in a flash after Britain had secured, the Maoris caught Bowcott in possession, speedily robbed him of the ball, and dribbled to within five yards of the British line. Ruru took an attempted touch-finder from Bassett on the full, and was away down the line, but Morley’s tackle was sure. After a spell of hard scrummaging with Britain steadily gaining ground, Spong secured and passed to Aarvold, I to Jones-Davies, who broke through

in great style and handed on to Novis, ! whose speed gave him a clear run. It was a splendid try. Parker converted. Britain 14 Maoris 3 Nepia had a penalty pot at goal ] from near half-way, but missed, and the Maori forwards, with Oxley and Robinson prominent, forced play down to near the British line, then to be forced back to the 25. Bell was always on hand when wanted, spoiling many British movements. The tackling of both sides was deadly. At last the Maoris’ persistent and determined attacks were rewarded when, after “knocking at the door” for a good ten minutes, Bell led his forwards in a magnificent rush that simply swept the opposition before it. Near the posts the ball was shot out to Pelham, who dived across under the cross-bar for Nepia to convert. Britain 14 * Maoris 8 Bell returned the kick-off well downfield, and Bassett fumbled, allowing three men, who had followed up quickly, to start another siege. Beamish was prominent in temporarily clearing from the 25 by sheer bulldog strength. It took three men to pull him down, but Watson and Toby Robinson were prominent in a quick movement that took play back again. At this stage the crowd was on its toes with excitement, and the applause was deafening when Ruru got the ball on the wing and dashed for the line. He side-stepped Bassett, not entirely successfully, but enough to catch him off his balance. The Maori bumped him hard and dived across in the corner. Nepia converted. Britain 14 Maoris 13 Still the Maori dash and devil was much in evidence. Twice in succession Bassett had to force. From a second drop-off, however, the British forwards got away in a great rush that took play in a flash from one 25 to the other. Here a scrum was formed, and Spong sent out a long pass to his backs, who were standing well away from the scrum, tactics that were effective in evading the Maori backs coming round. The ball went along the line in quick, short passes to Novis, who had plenty of room, and sprinted straight for the corner, running round after he had crossed the line to score in a handy position. Parker converted. Britain 19 Maoris 13 There were only a few minutes to play, and the game ended after Nepia had missed two shots at goal from half-way. Before the second shot the referee stopped play in order to clear some of the spectators off the goalline, but when the thistle went the teams were rushed, and the Maoris were enthusiastically carried off.

Mr F. Sutherland (Auckland) was referee.